


A Place To Call Home

by WroughtBetwixt



Series: Soulbraid [1]
Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Age Difference, Alien/Human Relationships, Aliens, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Attempted Kidnapping, Canon Temporary Character Death, Closeted Character, Complicated Relationships, Consensual Mind Control, Denial of Feelings, F/F, F/M, Friends to Enemies to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Drug Addiction, Isabel and Noah are in love, Isabel and Rosa are in love, Lovers to enemies to lovers, M/M, Mind Control, Mind The Age Gap, Minor Character Death, Mostly Noah's POV, Noah and Rosa are ?????, Noah's Age Is Weird And Alien And Impacted By The Pod, Partial Mind Control, Past Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Polyamory, Pre-Canon, Protectiveness, Queer Isabel, Sharing a Body, Soul Bond, Twisted and Fluffy Feelings, bi rosa
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-09
Updated: 2020-04-27
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:47:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 18,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23077285
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WroughtBetwixt/pseuds/WroughtBetwixt
Summary: When the ship crashed, he had no idea what the future held. Had he known how their souls-- their fates-- would braid together, maybe he would have embraced death sooner.
Relationships: Isabel Evans/Rosa Ortecho, Isabel Evans/Rosa Ortecho/Noah Bracken, Michael Guerin/Alex Manes, Noah Bracken/Isabel Evans, Noah Bracken/Michael Guerin, Rosa Ortecho/Noah Bracken
Series: Soulbraid [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1658569
Comments: 14
Kudos: 15





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a canon divergent rewrite of the first season of Roswell, New Mexico, told from (mostly) Noah's POV. 
> 
> Borrowing some elements from the original Roswell, this first part of this fic explores the pre-canon relationships between Isobel, Rosa, and Noah, starting from the moment the ship crashed in the desert of New Mexico. I did not warn for "underage" because Isobel and Rosa are both 18+ before anything happens, and Noah's age here is left highly questionable due to alien biology and the effects of the stasis pod. As the fic progresses, it will focus on the relationships between Noah and the other aliens, as well as between Michael and Alex.
> 
> It's a story about what it's like to share a body and mind with another. It's a story about trust-- broken and, maybe someday, mended. It's a story about love. 
> 
> Using the spelling "Isobel" within the story, because that's what it is according to Wikipedia and IMDB. The fic will be updated every Sunday. Feel free to check my [tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/wroughtbetwixtfanfic) for any updates. Thank you for reading, and any comments/kudos. <3

It was supposed to be a simple journey.

The ship was small, by the standards of their world; discretion had ensured the escape of the Royal Family and their court. Still, it had been strong, well-supplied. It would take time to find a new world, a safe one, but it was worth it for the chance to start over. They already had a few worlds selected to explore. Soon enough, they would have a new life somewhere else. Somewhere free from the toxic, murderous regime that had taken over their homeland.

And then a sensor went off in the lower decks. Nasedo stirred, feeling the psychic call of his masters; something was wrong. He grabbed a weapon and headed down, following an unfamiliar scent to the control deck. Someone was at the wheel, changing the coordinates. He wouldn't remember, later, who it was that he fought against that fateful day. All he remembered was a flash of metal, fists connecting to flesh as he tried to defend the ship. He was a Protector, and he was willing to die to defend his people.

Nasedo didn't die.

He managed to get control back of the ship, only in time to save it from completely disintegrating in the atmosphere of Earth. The ship smashed into the ground, exploding outward in a spray of fire and iridescent shards. Nasedo tried to stand, forcing himself to push through the pain that ripped through his body. He cursed under his breath, but at least he had breath; the atmosphere was survivable. Rich, heady, too much, but... But he didn't have time to adjust to his surroundings. There was a shout from his queen. He barely heard the words, Still, he understood the order: protect the children. Nasedo scanned the wreckage, finding the three pods flung towards some nearby mountains. Safe. Intact.

There was a cave in the mountains. Nasedo sensed it, hollow and cool and sheltered. Perfect. It was difficult, pushing the pods into the tunnel and tucking them away from immediate sight. His muscles and ribs burned, and he felt blood leaking from a gash along his head. It didn't matter. His king and queen were relying on him to keep the heirs safe. Once they were safe, Nasedo headed back out to try and find other survivors. He could worry about himself later.

A few dead bodies lay among the wreckage. All things considered, it could have been worse. It seemed like most of the survivors had exited their pods already, huddling around their leaders. The queen was speaking to their people; Nasedo turned away, grabbing what pods he could find and moving them towards the other caves nearby in case they needed to shield themselves. He had heard of Earth as a child, in his classes, but the planet was largely a mystery. He wished he'd paid closer attention. Now, most of the teachers were dead. They were some of the first to have been slaughtered by the invading regime.

Nasedo was walking back from the mines when he saw them. Metal vehicles rolling along the ground, rumbling and belching an acrid smoke, two bright lights glaring from the front like the malevolent eyes of some desert animal. Something inside twisted in unease. He walked faster, as fast as he could manage, his heart drumming even quicker as the vehicles stopped and beings emerged. Pale in the moonlight, bipedal, two arms. Forward-facing eyes. Predators.

_Run._

Nasedo froze, hearing the voice of his queen in his head once more.

_RUN._

He barely turned when he heard it. Pop, pop. Small explosions, rapid, followed by the sound of screaming. Nasedo clenched his teeth, diving behind a pile of stone that felt all too small as he listened to his people die. His nails dug into his palms as he fought the urge to get up, to go back, to fight. He was supposed to be a warrior, he was supposed to be out there between his king and queen, not...

... The heirs. Nasedo crawled along the ground, slowly making his way to where he'd hidden the pods. Protect them. He had to protect them. Keep them safe. It was too late for the others, he knew. Just as the queen must have known. He felt them die, one by one, feel their agony in his head and chest. If he would fall, too, he would fall keeping those bloodthirsty monsters away from the children. He dragged himself in front of the tunnel entrance, weapon in hand as he waited.

No one ever came. He lay there, listening to the gurgling, fading, torn cries of his people. He kept silent. He kept still. It was hours later, but the Earthlings left. Nasedo stayed put for another hour. Two. Three. No one came back. It was then that he finally stood, reaching out with his mind to try and search for someone. Anyone. Nothing. Pieces of the ship were gone. The rest of the pods were gone. The only thing left was blood, body fluids, and some terrible chemical smell. He opened and closed his hands, a choking noise building in his throat. All that escaped was a whimper.

What now, what now? What to do? The pods weren't open. He couldn't pull the children out until they were ready. There was no way to know when that would be. There was no one to give him orders. No one to give him direction. He felt frozen in place, exhausted and miserable and covered in his own blood. There was only one possible action left: survive. That was all he had left. Survive, and when the time came, protect the heirs.

Nasedo found himself at the other cave where he'd managed to hide the only other pod he'd salvaged. It was broken. Barely functional. Still, 'barely' was better than 'not at all'. With a little luck, it would keep him alive until the children were ready to come out. And then, Nasedo thought with grim satisfaction, they would find a way to survive, together. And then, perhaps, they would find a way to thrive. If they could send out a distress call to other ships out there...

Nasedo slipped into the pod, shivering as the mist inside enveloped him.

He didn't heal. He didn't sleep. He curled there, awake and aware of every second that ticked by, as the days turned into months and the months turned into years. He recited all the commandments of his home. He repeated the oath he'd sworn when he became a Protector. He went over every scientific fact, every constellation and star he'd memorized, every song his mother had taught him as a child, all the names of every weapon and fighting form he'd learned from his teachers. When that grew stale, his mind began to turn to blood.

Thoughts of vengeance played through his head, little trickles at first that kept his mind busy. He pushed them away at first. It wasn't honorable. As the years became decades, the little thoughts came more and more, turning from a small stream into a roaring, cold flood of hatred and venom. He stopped trying to resist. It pumped through his veins, keeping his heart beating. What good was honor, now? It was a currency that had been rendered worthless the moment those things had destroyed his people. They would pay for what they'd done, and he had all sorts of delicious plans for how he would make them suffer.

Fifty years passed before he felt it. A flicker, small and afraid and desperately crying out. Nasedo tried to break free of the pod, clawing at it until his nails bent and his skin bled. It was useless. He was trapped and unable to escape. His body was atrophied. Weak. All he could do was press his withered face to the side of the pod and wait, praying with everything he had left in him that someday, they would return for him.

Seven years after that, he heard a scream. 


	2. Chapter 2

It was his favorite daydream.

He was walking free, bathed in sunlight with the heirs at his side. They were faced with those terrible people from so long ago. The heirs pinned them down as he surged forward, grabbing the leader of their army by the head; he’d dive into the Earthling’s mind, tearing through it like the storms Nasedo sometimes heard rolling overhead. He would gift the Earthlings their worst nightmares, castrating their minds before searing through their brain with the killing power in his palms. Each and every single one who had ever harmed his people, each Earthling that even dared think to raise a finger against them, would burn. They would die howling for mercy that wouldn’t come.

But then Nasedo realized the screaming in his daydream was real. A scream in his head, desperate and panicked and afraid. One of the heirs. Nasedo struggled against his prison, trying to get out. They needed him. They needed protection. Damn it all, what good was he if he couldn’t do what he’d been born to do? Unless…

Nasedo closed his eyes and focused. It was a skill he hadn’t practiced much as a young one, and oh how he regretted it. The ability to project into the mind and even flesh of another was a skill inherent in Protectors, but he hadn’t needed it. He’d always been better at hand to hand combat. But his charges needed him. If they died, then he had failed, and all of the suffering would be for nothing. He would never escape, he would never get revenge.

Unacceptable.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes, and he could see. Everything was blurry, as if he was staring through a haze, but he could make out a young one. Blonde, fair of skin, a slim but tall frame. She was struggling against an Earthling, a bigger and older one who had hands around her mouth and wrist, dragging her through the dirt. Nasedo didn’t need much power to know his intentions.

 _I’m here_ , Nasedo whispered into the young one’s mind. _I’m here. Let me in. Let me help you._

The young one’s mind opened to him with unexpected ease, a single question among the spinning thoughts. _Who are you?_

_I’ll explain later. I can save you. I can protect you. Let me in._

In an instant, he was there, inside her body as well as her mind. Isobel. Her name was Isobel, she was fourteen years old, there on a camping trip with her brothers Maxwell and Michael. Nasedo settled into her form, jaw setting in determination. Sleep, Isobel. It’ll be over soon. Isobel drifted into the back of her mind, asleep, safe. Nasedo focused on the attacker, trying hard to fight. He hadn’t anticipated that the weakness of his own form would impact Isobel’s well being. He hadn’t anticipated just how difficult it would be. He snarled, lashing out and biting, but it did little good. Damn it, damn it.

The attacker was blown back out of nowhere. Nasedo fell to the ground, gaping up at two forms rushing to his– her, their– side. The tallest– Max– was saying something, but Nasedo couldn’t understand it. He just closed the eyes, leaning against the comforting warmth of another living body and shivering from fear and adrenaline. Tired. So tired. But then the one holding them was moving, and Nasedo heard the sounds of struggle.

He could hear Max cry out. He smelled blood.

Nasedo looked to Max, sending a brief flash of an image. A hand on the chest, glowing. On fire. Burning out the life inside the Earthling that dared harm them. Max followed the action perfectly, howling as power surged through his young body and crushed the life beneath him. His first kill. Nasedo smiled inwardly as the other, Michael, effortlessly dug a grave with telekinesis. Oh, they were young, but already so powerful.

It was a few days before Isobel woke. Nasedo kept quiet, playing along as Max took them back to the Earthling family. He bit back his hatred as doctors poked them, prodded them, checked them for injury. He watched, learning the language of the Earthlings as the days went by. English, primarily. They called themselves humans. They were in the city of Roswell, the state of New Mexico, the country of the United States of America. Isobel Evans, the minutes-younger twin sister of Maxwell Evans, adopted by Ann Evans and her husband. Insufferable people, the parents. They didn’t know about the young ones’ powers. They had no clue how to raise such children. Still, Isobel’s memories of them seemed… physically harmless, if not emotionally barren.

No one questioned the body’s silence. Trauma, a doctor murmured, often took time to recover from. Max tried to be close, tried to get his sister to talk. Nasedo didn’t know what to do. He withdrew, focusing on taking care of Isobel and basking in the Earth’s sun, strange and wonderful music piped directly into his ears via something called an mp3 player. Soon enough, Isobel started to stir. Her voice, faint but growing closer, echoed through their shared mind.

_What happened?_

Nasedo wanted to reply, but couldn’t. His hold on the body was slipping, and he was unable to speak; within seconds, he woke in his own body and his own mind. The pain came flooding back, and for the only time in his memory, he wept. To have a taste of freedom, even if it was through another, was almost worse than none at all. To think he’d never again feel the warmth of the desert upon his face… But then it happened again, and kept happening.

The second time he was drawn out, it was without warning. Nasedo woke up in Isobel’s bed. It was nighttime, and the body was sweating. Shaking. Heart pounding. A… nightmare? He got up, wandering to the bathroom and gently dabbing Isobel’s face with a cool, damp towel. The anxiety wasn’t his, though he felt it, and that distance was enough to help calm the body back down. He brought her back to bed just as she came back into her mind; once again, he returned to his prison.

It happened rarely at first, in quick little moments when Isobel was afraid or overwhelmed. Once every few months, at the most. Nasedo wondered if Isobel even realized what was happening. Not that it mattered. It was only five, ten minutes that Nasedo used to glimpse the outside world while he cared for Isobel and soothed her mind. Max didn’t understand it, and Nasedo never felt obligated to explain. Michael… Michael was different. He would watch silently, sitting nearby without speaking or attempting to touch Isobel’s body. Sometimes, he would offer a cold drink, help Nasedo find a quiet place if they were at school when it happened, or scroll through Isobel’s mp3 player to find the songs he knew would be calming. Michael didn’t ask questions, so perhaps it was for that reason that Nasedo liked him more.

With time, the shifts in control became more frequent. Lasted longer. What had once been five or ten minutes a few times a year became a weekly habit of an hour or more. Maybe it was because of the stress of High School, maybe it was because Isobel chose the most catty and upsetting human friends possible, maybe it was because their connection deepened as Isobel’s powers grew stronger. Nasedo didn’t know. What he did know was that nearly two years after the first time, he was drawn to Isobel when he felt her crying. Upset. He glanced around as he came to, wondering what had happened.

They were in Isobel’s room, at her desk. A journal lay open in front of them. Nasedo tilted his head, glancing at the writing.

**I love her. She’s older than me, and my parents whisper about how she’s trouble. They don’t know how I feel. I’m ashamed. I know Michael is bi and it’s no big deal for him, but it’s different for me. I have a lot of friends. I’m supposed to be perfect. Everyone expects me to be the homecoming queen with a jock boyfriend, but that’s not what I want. I want Rosa.**

Oh. Oh, dear. Nisedo shut the journal and slipped it into Isobel’s secret hiding place. He mulled that information over as he wandered to the kitchen, drumming his fingers on the fridge door as he hunted for something to eat. Rosa. Rosa… Ortecho. He remembered her, faintly. She had been hanging out with Michael, once, when Isobel had an attack. She’d stood guard with Michael over them. She seemed sweet, warm, with a quick laugh. As far as humans went, well, she was acceptable. But–

“What’s up?”

Max’s voice made Nasedo jerk their head up. “Just looking for a snack,” he said, his voice perfectly imitating Isobel’s inflections. He’d been practicing. “Why?”

“We just ate.” Max frowned. “I thought I heard you crying.”

“Hormones, I guess.”

“Didn’t need to know that.”

Nasedo rolled his eyes as Max made a face and walked away. Men. Such babies. He grabbed a fork and what looked to be a leftover box of vegetable lo mein, and headed back to Isobel’s room. It had been two years, and he hadn’t spoken to Isobel himself since that fateful night, but he contemplated changing that now. He wasn’t sure he could speak to her without losing control, but… Well, there were others ways, weren’t there? He nibbled at the food as he fished out Isobel’s journal again, picking up a pen and thinking. If he did this, he wouldn’t be able to take it back.

But nothing ventured, nothing gained. Right?

**Isobel, when you read this, I want you to know that you’re not imagining things. I don’t know if you remember me from that night, at the camping trip…**

It was a short note, just a page. If it worked, if she accepted him, he could always write more later. He frowned, glancing at the journal entry Isobel had written.

**  
… And just so you know, Isobel, you never have to be ashamed of who you are or who you love.  
\- Nasedo**

Nasedo felt the world spin as Isobel began to come back to her body. Just in time. He sighed, closing his eyes and hoping for the best as he relinquished control. It wasn’t long before he was called back, days at most. When he opened his eyes, he was at school and in the cafeteria. Shit. He forced a smile at her friends, excusing himself from the table and rushing outside to the bleachers. Her next class was gym, and there was no way he was going to be able to handle it. Being in Isobel’s body sapped her strength, and he wouldn’t risk hurting her. Instead, he rummaged around her backpack looking for astronomy homework. That, that he could do.

His hands landed on a notebook, and he noticed something that made him freeze. His name was written on the front, in tiny letters. Blinking, he opened it.

**I remember you.**

His heart hammered in his chest.

**I thought I was crazy. I never told anyone what happened. Not even Max or Michael. How does this work? Who are you? Why did you save me?**

Nasedo grabbed a pen, hope fluttering to life inside his being.

**I don’t know how it works, exactly. Some of our kind can project themselves into the bodies of others. Especially Protectors, like me. I take control when you need me, and leave when the danger passes. Your mother ordered me to protect the three of you, just after the crash. I protected your family before, on our homeworld. I saved you because I knew you, once.**

The next time Nasedo came back, a week later, there was a reply waiting for him.

**So that’s why I can’t remember things? That makes sense, now. You knew our mother? What happened to her? What was she like? What was our home like?**

Smiling, Nasedo scribbled in his reply. He told Isobel as much as he remembered. Tales of a beautiful, blonde woman with warm heart and a sharp mind, opinionated yet compassionate. Tales of a plant similar to Earth, laid to waste by greed and power-hungry zealots. Her mother, he noted, died in the crash. A lie, but a soft one. He didn’t want to tell her that her mother likely died in pain, gunned down by hateful military men.

They wrote back and forth for ages, and finally, Nasedo felt he had a chance at life. A life in bits and pieces, in stolen moments, but a life all the same. Maybe he could be content, sharing the body with Isobel. She was a beautiful soul like her mother, though less confident and more fearful. Well, that would change with age and experience. Especially with his hand to help guide her. She seemed to welcome his presence, and the connection between them only grew stronger as their third year together began. Isobel made sure to take detailed notes of her classes, homework, things that had happened between her and others. Nasedo, in turn, took notes of things that had happened while he was in control.

Things seemed to be heading in a bright direction. Isobel blossomed into the popular queen bee that she was meant to be, and Nasedo took the wheel when things got to be too much for her. They shared their hopes, their dreams, their deepest secrets; it kept him distracted, busy… happy. Isobel was almost eighteen when, late one night, their minds managed to brush together at the same time. They were conscious at the same time, and they both laughed at the giddiness of the moment.

 _“We’re strong together,”_ Isobel mused. _“If we could exist this way, always…”_

Nasedo chuckled. _“You wouldn’t want me around all the time, I’m sure.”_

_“Why not?”  
  
“Rosa?”_

Isobel pursed her lips. _“You said that we can’t trust humans. Any humans.”_

_“Well, maybe I was wrong.”_

It stunned Nasedo to admit it, especially out loud. It had been so long since he’d thought of revenge, that he’d almost forgotten it. Almost. Still, it felt right. He saw the way Isobel looked at Rosa, and he knew what was in her heart. He couldn’t deny that connection any more than he could deny their own.

_“She’s different, isn’t she?”  
  
“Maybe. Too bad she’s high half the time.”  
  
“And you’re not?”_

Scoffing, Isobel’s mind nestled in and eased into sleep. After that night, it was easier to operate together. Not simple, not flawless, but easier. Blending their lives together gave Nasedo a new sense of freedom, and he gave to Isobel a self assurance that she’d rarely experienced before. Enough self assurance that she finally began to flirt with Rosa on her own, once Isobel was 18 and Rosa had graduated. Not enough self assurance, Nasedo noticed, to tell her brothers their secret.

 _“I enjoy having you to myself,”_ Isobel said when Nasedo pointed it out. _“Besides. They’ll think I’m nuts.”_

Having you to myself. The concept was… strange. He’d never belonged to anyone. Not on their homeworld, and certainly not since. He’d led a secluded life, focusing on his studies and then on his duties; deep friendships had only been a distraction, in his eyes. Now, Nasedo pondered the idea. Friendship. Maybe even love. How would such things even work? Would he be content to exist alongside Isobel, with her friends being his friends? With her love being his love? It was an entire world he’d never considered.

 _“I can’t tell what you’re thinking,”_ she added softly.

_“What if I can never escape? What if I never have my own body again?”_

Isobel shrugged. _“What I have is yours.”  
  
“You won’t be able to tell the ones you love about your secrets.”  
  
“You said yourself, Rosa is different. Maybe… I don’t know, maybe there are others out there who are different, too. Maybe the good people outnumber the bad.”  
  
“I doubt it.”_

She couldn’t touch him, of course, but he felt affection from her directed at him, and it felt almost like an embrace. _“At least we’ll have each other.”_

On that, he agreed.

Regardless of what happened, Nasedo would protect Isobel. No matter the cost.


	3. Chapter 3

Rosa Ortecho was a hurricane.  
  
She lived every moment as her last. Her smile was pure light, and she was every single inch the sort of person Nasedo could see Isobel falling head over heels for, especially since Rosa had dumped her junkie boyfriend and gone clean in March. Of course Nasedo had been doubtful at first. Rosa was human. Still. Rosa loved astrology and music, dancing and poetry. She was an artist, but the kind of artist with a fire in their soul. Rosa loved hard, lived hard, hated hard. Everything about her was power, fast and intense and exhilarating. It was impossible not to adore her.  
  
Max was in love with Rosa's sister, Liz, so naturally he always went to the Crashdown Cafe where Liz and Rosa both worked. And because Max went, Isobel went, too. Rosa, with her wide, dark eyes and deep laugh, had grown fond of Isobel. That much was clear. She'd sneak Isobel free fries. They'd share a milkshake that had been made a little wrong. They would look up funny videos on Isobel's phone and play music on the cafe's jukebox while Max and Liz were distracted elsewhere. It was good to see Isobel laugh, after everything she had been through. She deserved to be happy, and it made sense that Rosa's kind-hearted, wild spirit would bring Isobel that happiness.  
  
What Nasedo hadn't anticipated was how much he would find himself feeling affection towards the human, too. Nasedo pretended that the emotions belonged to Isobel, and Isobel alone. It was easier that way. Besides, Isobel was under the terrible stress known as 'senior year'; between Isobel trying to deal with her own internalized homophobia and school, it was all Nasedo could do to keep her held together. He couldn't take the time to look too closely at his own feelings or bother Isobel with them. Isobel's health was all that mattered.  
  
At least, that was until a Friday night as the Crashdown.  
  
Isobel never admitted that she went there to see Rosa. She didn't admit it that night, either. _"I just need to relax,"_ she complained. _"There's only half the year left, and I've been studying for like, three days straight."_  
  
Nasedo withdrew, as he always did when Isobel wanted time to herself. The nerve-searing pain was easier to deal with, when he knew that he would be escaping it again soon enough. Sooner than he expected, in fact. It hadn't been very long when he was snapped back to Isobel, waking up in a daze; the transition was usually slower, smoother. What had happened that has caused Isobel to panic so much?  
  
"Isobel? Are you okay?"  
  
Rosa. Nasedo blinked, scrambling to recover. "Sorry, Rosa. I'm a total space case today."  
  
"It's okay." Rosa frowned. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, shifting her gaze away. "Uhm, if you don't want to go to the movies, it's okay. I just thought that maybe... Maybe we'd have fun."  
  
What would Isobel want? He knew Isobel was falling for Rosa. He also was certain Isobel would never go on her own. But, well, Nasedo wanted to go. What harm would come from a movie? "Sure," he replied with as charming of a smile as he could muster. Rosa's eyes fluttered. "I'd love to go. Text me with the info?"  
  
Rosa snatched Isobel's phone and entered her contact information, the frown on her face replaced by a sunny grin. "Cool. It's a date."  
  
Their eyes met, and Rosa's grin turned shy. Nasedo smiled back, his heart racing as he left the cafe and headed home. It was a bad idea. He knew it was a bad idea. And yet, he couldn't stop himself from feeling a flicker of joy. That was, until he got home and Isobel returned, pacing in their room as she took the body from him.  
  
 _"Why did you do that?"_ she groaned. _"I can't believe you."_  
  
 _"I thought you'd be pleased."  
  
"I kind of am, yeah. I don't know. Things are complicated."  
  
"She likes you and you like her. What's complicated about that?"_  
  
Isobel stopped, taking a deep breath and curling her arms around herself. _"Besides Roswell being a fishbowl full of jerks? I... I like you, too."  
  
"I would hope so. We share a body."  
  
"Nasedo."_  
  
He paused at the strain in her voice. The meaning of her words became clear, and he felt almost queasy. No, no, he wasn't good enough for her. He'd been in stasis for almost a hundred years total, by human years, and was practically a damn rotting corpse on top of it. _"Isobel..."  
  
"I love you. You don't have to say it to me, but I love you."_  
  
The word made him wince. She was so young, and full of so much hope and promise. He couldn't do that to her. He would never be able to hold her, to take care of her the way a real, living, whole person could. Like Rosa could. _"I will always protect you,"_ he answered, his voice gentle. _"I will always be here for you."_  
  
Isobel said nothing. Thankfully, a text came through right then, the metallic chime saving them. He looked at it through her eyes, intrigued.  
 **  
Pirate Radio, 9pm showing tomorrow. Sound good?**  
  
 _"It's your choice, Isobel."_  
  
Isobel fiddled with the phone. _"You like her, too. Don't you?"  
_  
Nasedo didn't answer. He didn't know how, especially after Isobel's confession. He cared for them both, in their own unique ways. How to explain that? But in the end, he didn't really have to; Isobel was connected to his mind and thoughts, as he was connected to hers, and he felt the moment she accepted the strange situation they were in. A tiny, wry smile tugged at her lips as she opened the text.  
  
 **Sounds fun. I'll meet you there.**  
  
A few minutes later, another chime. **Great! Goodnight! <3**  
  
Nasedo stayed quiet as Isobel went about her bedtime routine. He knew it by heart. He knew her favorite products, the order she used them in, and the exact number of uses left in each bottle before she would need new ones. He knew how hard she was working to accept the little mole by her nose, because it was part of her and she refused to take a knife to her body to please silly beauty standards. He knew the story behind every scar on her body, like the curved burn mark by her pinky finger she got when she was seven, newly adopted and ignorant of what an oven was and the fact that heat would hurt her. Her homework, in their bedroom, would be stacked just so and color-coded and triple checked for any errors. The outfit she planned to wear the next day would be folded neatly over the back of the desk chair. Their bedroom window would be open exactly two inches, to let in the cool nighttime air.  
  
Favorite things, dislikes, habits. The way she'd smooth her hair when she was anxious. Each and every aspect of Isobel's life, he had memorized. Each, he found more and more endearing as the days passed. Was that... love? Was that what love was, in the end? It wasn't the same excited, nervous feeling Isobel experienced when she thought about seeing Rosa. It wasn't the passionate fireworks that were in all of the human movies, books, and songs. No. It was quieter, calmer. They shared a connection that they would never share with anyone else, and that was... special. Precious.  
  
Thankfully, Isobel didn't comment on his thoughts. She tuned them out, giving him privacy to mull in peace. Not that it did much good. They fell into a restless sleep, and spent the next day on edge. Isobel was refined, intelligent, elegant, proud, orderly. Nasedo was supposed to be the dauntless one. Regardless, even he found himself starting to get nervous as 9pm drew closer. He still had no idea what he was doing, but at least he and Isobel were in the same boat.  
  
 _"If our parents find out..."_ she muttered as she adjusted her hair in the mirror. If she kept messing about, they'd be late. _"God. Are we really doing this?"  
_  
Nasedo shook his head and gently took control of the body, only long enough to steer her out of the bathroom and towards the door. _"They won't find out. People go to movies all the time."_  
  
Luckily, Max had went with their parents to some country club thing. Disgusting. Nasedo checked their outfit one last time before heading out; basic black blouse, dark wash jeans, black boots. Perfect. They strutted down to the movie theater, flashing a bright smile as they saw Rosa waiting by the door. Rosa blushed as Isobel held the door for her; they paid for the tickets, but went double-dutch on the snacks. Nasedo watched from his corner of the mind, fascinated. In the four years they had shared bodies, Nasedo had never seen Isobel so... open. Carefree.  
  
It was when the movie let out that Isobel's bravado faded. They were walking to the park, the street lamps lighting up the night with a soft glow. "I want to show you one of my favorite places," Rosa said, giving them a mysterious look as she headed into the park. "C'mon."  
  
Curious, Nasedo followed, shifting to the front as Isobel hesitated. Maybe Isobel cared about curfews and closing times, but he didn't; most human laws were based in fear, anyways, not in common sense. Rosa led them to the center of the park, to a gazebo. It was pretty, with latticework along the sides and shining white against the darkness. Rosa twirled in the center.  
  
"This is your favorite spot?" Nasedo asked. "Why?"  
  
Rosa leaned against one of the posts and shrugged. "I have a lot of favorite places. Spots where it's quiet late at night. Places I can go to think. I can just exist here for a while, you know?"  
  
"I don't know. I hate being alone."  
  
"I'm guessing you've never had an overbearing dad."  
  
Nasedo thought back to the Evanses, and to his own family. "Not especially. My family is more of the seen-not-heard type."  
  
"Maybe we should trade."  
  
"You wouldn't be any happier. They treat you like a disgrace if you use the wrong fork at dinner, or can't name three pro golfers."  
  
"Wow, I'd fit right in." Rosa wrinkled her nose. They both laughed; Rosa sighed after, digging around in her purse and pulling out a few pens. "My dad means well, but sometimes it makes it hard to move on when he keeps treating me like I'm broken."  
  
Nasedo watched as Rosa took the pens to the gazebo post, a blank canvas for her bleeding soul. "What are you doing?"  
  
"Mayhem, mischief, delinquent behavior. It's how I get my highs now."  
  
"Can I try?"  
  
Rosa arched an eyebrow. "You? Isobel Evans?"  
  
"Maybe I'm sick of being the person everyone thinks I am."  
  
"Yeah." Rosa frowned, offering her pens. Nasedo picked the black one, turning his eyes to his side of the post as Rosa spoke. Her voice was increasingly bitter, upset, as she colored in her drawing. A rose, covered in sharp thorns. "It's, like, a Roswell rite of passage. One day, everybody in this town gets together and they, like, decide who you are, and that's who you get to be. Forever. End of story. Doesn't matter if you change or improve or figure out that you're not even who you thought you were to begin with."  
  
Nasedo began to sketch the symbol of his homeworld. Three circles, connected in the middle and forming a triangle. "And who are you?"  
  
"I don't think I know that yet. Do you understand who _you_ are?"  
  
"Some. Less than I'd desire."  
  
Pausing, Rosa leaned to glance over Nasedo's shoulder. "What is that?"  
  
"Just something I've drawn since I was a kid."  
  
Goosebumps formed over Nasedo's arms as Rosa's breath moved along his neck. Isobel sensed the flicker of distress from him, and moved to take control again. In the nick of time, too. A cop car drove by, slow, forcing them to scamper out of the park before they were caught. It was, Isobel would later admit, a thrill. Enough of a thrill that she finally seemed to get over her shyness, happily chatting about the movie as they walked towards Rosa's home. Everything was fine until they got one street away.  
  
"You don't have to come with me the rest of the way," Rosa said as she stopped underneath some trees, standing safe in the shadows. "I mean. Aren't you afraid that somebody's gonna see us?"  
  
"If I'm being honest? Yeah, but that has nothing to do with you. My parents would freak out if they knew I went out on a date with a girl."  
  
"Was this a date?"  
  
Isobel stared at Rosa. Rosa didn't seem angry, or grossed out or anything. More... tense, inquisitive. And, maybe, a little hopeful. That tiny tinge of hope bolstered Isobel's courage. "Do you want it to have been?"  
  
"I think so. It's just... I've never done this before. With a girl, I mean. And it's the first time I've liked someone since I've been clean. I'm not sure I know what I'm doing."  
  
"Would it make you feel any better if I said this was my first time, too?"  
  
Rosa smiled. "Yeah. Yeah, it helps."  
  
They walked the rest of the way to the cafe, each lost in thought; Nasedo kept his senses open, watching for trouble. The street was empty. They were safe. When they got to the door, Rosa turned and wrapped Isobel in a hug. Isobel froze for a split second, then hugged her back. "Goodnight, Rosa."  
  
"Goodnight, Isobel."  
  
Slipping into the cafe, Rosa locked the door behind her and headed in. She paused, turning and glancing at Isobel over her shoulder. She smiled again, and gave them a wave; Isobel and Nasedo both felt their shared heart beat faster. Then she was gone, vanishing into the diner and heading to the apartment above it.  
  
For a moment, Isobel didn't move, her hand pressing against her chest as she sucked in a long, slow breath. Rosa's parting smile was stuck in her head. Despite herself, she couldn't help but smile, too. _"We're in trouble, aren't we?"_  
  
 _"Yes,"_ Nasedo replied, desire and dread mixing together in his chest. _"We are."_


	4. Chapter 4

Love, Nasedo had always thought, was often a weakness.

It felt good, there was no question about that. Every time they saw Rosa, there was a giddy, bubbly feeling that rose in their chest, and it felt as if electricity was running through them every time Rosa looked at them with that smile that she reserved only for them. Isobel was happy. Nasedo was happy. But it was that happiness that bred complacency. And complacency? Complacency was dangerous.

_"We'll tell her,"_ Isobel decided the night after their second date, _"if it gets serious."_

They had gone to two movies in two weeks. Nothing else had happened. But they both knew, even if they hadn't talked about it, that they were already hopelessly attached. It was an unfortunate mechanism built into their biology; their species, while not necessarily monogamous, formed deep relationships with others after an emotional connection. Those connections were often lifelong, and they were not easily broken. In many cases, they lasted even beyond the death of the person. It wasn't anything to treat lightly, and Nasedo knew-- as Isobel knew-- that 'serious' was just around the corner. That was, if Rosa felt the same way.

_If_. 'If' was the only thing between their secret, and potential disaster.

It was the concept of everyone else finding out that was Isobel's true fear. Early May, Max almost saw texts from Rosa when he borrowed Isobel's phone for something; the next day, Isobel broke down before history class, and Nasedo steered them out to the bleachers. It was a warm, sunny day, and he stretched out with their sunglasses on and earphones in, listening to Isobel's favorite music. They were finally starting to relax when a shadow blocked out the light.

"Whatcha doing? You're supposed to be in AP History."

Nasedo cracked open an eye and glowered at Max. Although Nasedo had sworn to protect the prince, and would do so if only for Isobel's sake, he found the boy an annoyance. "You're blocking my sun."

"You get one more truancy, you'll be banned from the prom."

"I don't care about prom."

"Okay. Who are you right now?"

Oh, if only Max knew. Nasedo gave him a little goodbye wave and put the earphones back in, smiling as Max walked away with a frown marring that pretty face of his. The brief amusement was short-lived. At some point, Isobel was going to have to say something to her brothers. If they were going to exist together for long-term, perhaps for their whole lives, it wasn't a secret she could keep forever. Michael already looked at them in a way that made Nasedo suspicious. Michael was a firebrand, reminding Nasedo of himself; he was angry, violent, chaotic, and too smart for his own good. It was only a matter of time, Nasedo was convinced, before Michael figured them out. And without a doubt, he'd tell Max. He told Max everything.

Unfortunately, Max had been right. Principal Markham pulled them into her office, banning Isobel from prom. Nasedo sighed. Isobel would fix things later. He took them home after school, locking them in their room to make up the homework they'd missed. Stupid rules. They had a perfect 4.0 GPA, who cared if they missed a few classes?

Isobel's parents, apparently. The minute they heard what happened, they started in on the snooty lectures and pointless threats. Nasedo nodded and muttered some platitudes. Whatever would get them to shut up. He was relieved when nighttime fell, and he was able to get ready for bed. Isobel hadn't returned; he couldn't blame her. Well, sometimes she needed a night, and he was content to curl up with ice cream and a trashy novel. It was a few minutes past 10pm when Isobel's phone buzzed.

**I need you. Crashdown, roof.**

Rosa. Nasedo rolled out of bed and threw on some clothes, slinking out the window and into the night. He rushed to the Crashdown, climbing the fire escape to get to the roof. No one was there. Perching under the sign, Nasedo gazed up to the sky and waited. Soon, he sensed the familiar presence he'd come to treasure. Rosa hopped up to sit next to him, letting out a long, defeated sigh.

"I'm so glad you're here. I had such a crap day."

Nasedo smiled as Rosa twined her fingers with his. "Me, too. But, hey, it's over now." He lifted his hand, bringing Rosa's with it, and pointed to a collection of stars. "Look. I found my favorite constellation. It's a man and a serpent. Maybe the man's killing the serpent, maybe the serpent's killing the man. You can't tell where the man ends and the snake begins."

"What's it called?"

"Ophiuchus."

Resting her head on Nasedo's shoulder, she let out a soft hum. "I love it. Where's Pisces?"

"There." He pointed to the constellation. "Is it your sign?"

"Mhm. It looks like an arrow."

"I'm sorry I missed your birthday this year. We'll have to do something special next year," Nasedo said, before realizing what that implied. "I mean, if..."

"Izzie?"

"Yeah?"

Grinning, Rosa leaned in and kissed Nasedo on the cheek. "Thank you."

Blinking, he touched the spot where her lips had been. Nasedo opened his mouth to say something, anything, but suddenly they were kissing for real. Rosa had grabbed the front of Isobel's jacket and tugged them together; Nasedo closed his eyes, kissing her back. Her lips were warm, gentle, and she smelled of patchouli. Her hair was soft under his touch, and she smiled against his mouth as he trailed his fingers through it. Oh, it felt perfect. It felt right. But then she was pulling back, murmuring something that Nasedo barely heard.

"We should go before my dad comes looking for me."

Nasedo stroked her cheek. He didn't want to go, he never wanted to go, but it was true enough. Isobel would be furious if they got discovered. "Will you be alright?"

"I will now." Rosa's cheeks were flushed as she stood and gave Nasedo's hand a light squeeze. She ducked her head, eyes bright. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Rosa."

Heading down the fire escape, Nasedo was halfway down when Rosa popped her head over the side of the building. "Hey! Movie night tomorrow. Your choice."

"Last House On The Left?" Nasedo suggested. Rosa loved horror movies. "Text me what time your shift ends."

"It's a date."

By the time Nasedo got home and got back into bed, his heart felt light as a feather and filled with warmth. Maybe love _could_ feel like fireworks for him, after all. Isobel was back in the morning, muttering to herself about not getting the first kiss. It was good-natured, of course. Everything was... fine. It seemed like, just maybe, life was looking up and everything would work itself out in the end. All that was left was one tiny little thing.

Telling Rosa.

_"I don't feel comfortable kissing someone who doesn't know who she's kissing,"_ Nasedo said at they got ready to head to the Crashdown. 6pm, time to pick up Rosa. _"It's not right."_

So, the plan was to go to the movie, get some dinner after, and then take Rosa to the roof and tell her there. It wasn't totally private, but it was quiet and would give both parties an easy way to escape if necessary. Hopefully, it wouldn't be. They had both waited so long to tell someone, they were all but bouncing in anticipation by the time they got to the Crashdown. They could do it. They would do it. It would be okay. Except...

... Max. Max, who was supposed to be off with friends, was right there.

Isobel turned to run back out before Max could see, but it was too late. He shouted to her, waving her over. Nasedo got shoved out of front, the opposite of their usual way of handling things. Was it because Isobel knew how much Nasedo disliked Max? Most likely, but _damn it_ he at least needed to see and hear what was going on. By the time he managed to crawl his way back in, it was just in time to hear Isobel pretend to not know Rosa, and rush out of the cafe towards Max's car.

_"What did you do?"_ Nasedo hissed. _"Isobel!"  
_

_"I panicked! She brought up our date right in front of Max, and I... Oh, god. What did I do? How do I fix this?"  
_

_"Go back in there and apologize!"_

But Max was already coming out of the cafe, and Isobel had to fake wanting to go home. Once they were there, she tried to text Rosa. No reply. Rosa wasn't at any of her usual places the next day, and she wasn't at school on Monday. Isobel curled up on their bed and cried; Nasedo could feel their heart breaking, but he knew it was probably nothing compared to what Rosa was feeling. Isobel wrote a longer email, explaining that she panicked because she wasn't out to Max yet, and was worried that it would get back to Kyle-- Liz's boyfriend and the school's biggest homophobe. She was sorry, terribly sorry, and would do anything to make it up to Rosa.

A whole week went by, with no word. Prom loomed. Isobel managed to mind-bend her way back into the principal's good graces, and ended up going to the dance with Max and Michael. Isobel and Nasedo figured they could have some fun and try to numb the sadness for a little, but then Max opened his mouth about leaving Roswell, and Isobel fell apart. She stormed away, finding a dark corner to huddle into; Nasedo eased his way into control, just as Michael approached.

"You okay?" he asked, offering a cup of punch.

Nasedo turned his head away from it. "I'll be fine. I need a moment."

For a long moment, Michael said nothing. His eyes met theirs, and there was some emotion in Michael’s expression that Nasedo hadn't quite noticed before. Something he couldn't identify. Whatever it was, Michael just shrugged. "Look, I don't know if this is your scene right now or not. If you want to go, I'll cover for you."

Nodding, Nasedo headed for the second exit, the one away from Max. He'd have to thank Michael later. For now, he knew what he wanted to do. What he needed to do, and Isobel had been too nervous to try. He headed towards the Crashdown. It looked closed, but the door was still open. At first, he didn’t see Rosa, but then she came out from the back with a knapsack in hand. When she saw him, she froze.

“Izzie...” Rosa trailed off and narrowed her eyes. “We’re closed.”

Nasedo took a step closer. “I came to apologize in person. I know I screwed up, Rosa. Please, can we talk?”

“What’s there to talk about? I don’t want to be your dirty little secret, Izzie. I thought I’d be okay with it, with us keeping things hidden, but... But it really hurt. I don’t want to be something you’re ashamed of. We both deserve better than that.”

“I’m not ashamed of you. You are amazing, and I want nothing more than to be who I am with you all of the time. I love you.”

“You... Izzie, you can’t just say that if you don’t mean it.”

“I mean it.”

Silence fell over them both as Rosa stared up at him, eyes wide. Finally, she managed to sputter out a reply. “I was going to leave town for a while. There’s this guy, he says he could help me stay clean. It’s been really hard, and I just... I just need someone to be here for me.”

Nasedo felt his stomach churn. “A guy?”

“Not _that kind_ of guy. His name is Valenti. He’s kind of a father figure to me, you know? I thought if you didn’t want me here...”

“I do want you here. I want you to be with me.”

“I want to be with you, too, but I can’t hide forever. It’s not me.”

“So run away with me instead.” Nasedo blurted out the thought before he could think. “It’s less than a month until I graduate. If you can hang on until then, we can leave here. Start a new life somewhere else, somewhere better. You and me.”

Rosa slowly set down her knapsack. “Really? Are you sure?

“I am.”

“What about Max? Michael?”

“They’re leaving after graduation, anyways. Even if they weren’t, we... I need to make my own path. I want you by my side on that path.”

“Well.” Rosa shook her head, sitting down on one of the bar stools. “When you make an apology, you really make an apology. Oh Izzie, what if it doesn’t work out?”

“Then we’ll be friends and laugh about how silly we were, but it’ll be far away from here.”

“And we just have to keep this up until June?”

“Yes, and I’ll give you anything you need.”

“Like, love notes?”

Nasedo couldn’t help but smile, a little. “If you want them.” He reached out, taking Rosa’s hand in his. “I know it sucks to have to hide, and I’m sorry I hurt you. Let me make it up to you. If you’re still mad at me by graduation, you can always go see this Valenti guy. Right?”

Rosa sighed and gave a playful roll of her eyes. “I suppose I can try to forgive you for acting like a bitch. Kyle _is_ a homophobic ass... But how are you gonna make it up to me? Besides heartfelt letters of affection?”

“Do you trust me?”

“Ignoring your temporary lapse in human decency, yes, I trust you.”

“In that case...” Nasedo took a deep breath. Now or never. “I have a secret I want to share with you. Something I’ve never told anyone.”

“What kind of secret?”

“I think it’s better if I show you.” 


	5. Chapter 5

The drive to the turquoise mines was long and silent.

It was late by the time they got there. Without a doubt, people would be looking for them both before long. Neither of them seemed to care, and why would they? Rosa's family didn't seem to understand. Isobel's brothers seemed callous to Isobel's distress. It was just them, the desert, and the stars glimmering to life above them. What more, who more, did they need?

"You're not gonna like, murder me and bury my body here are you?" Rosa asked as they hiked towards the tunnels. "That'd kinda suck."

Nasedo frowned. "I'd never hurt you, Rosa." He paused at the entrance of the mine, the one where his pod-- and true body-- were hidden. Taking Rosa's hand, he gently turned her to face him. "I need you to believe that. Okay? I love you, and I want to keep you safe. Alright?"

Rosa tilted her head. "I love you, too. Izzie, are you okay?"

"We'll see."

He led her into the cave, those four words giving him some sort of hope. I love you, too. There were a few twists and turns, but then the darkness gave way to the soft, silver and gold glow of the pod. Rosa stopped in her tracks when she saw it, her grip on his hand tightening to an almost painful degree.

"Izzie... What... What is that?"

"Nasedo."

"What?"

He closed his eyes a moment, steeling himself. "My name is Nasedo. In 1947, a spaceship crashed in Roswell. I was one of the only survivors, along with Isobel and her brothers. That is a stasis pod. Theirs eventually opened. Mine was damaged, and the only way I can access the outside world is through the mental connection between me and Isobel. We share her body. That's why sometimes she seems different. Because it's me, not her."

No answer. Nasedo risked a glance at Rosa; she was staring at the pod, lips parted and her breathing faster than normal. But she didn't move. She didn't scream, or run, or lash out. She... looked. When she finally moved, it was to step towards the pod. He let go of her hand as she did, watching as she oh so lightly rested her hand on the pod. The light wavered, and for a split second, it was possible to see his body inside.

Rosa let out a gasp and yanked her hand away, spinning around to look at him. "You're an alien. An actual alien."

"Isobel and I both, yes."

"You... You're aliens sharing a body."

"We are."

"For how long?"

"Five years."

"So, this whole time that we've been..." Rosa stopped, pressing her hands to her forehead. For a moment, Nasedo felt a surge of fear. But then she exhaled a long, slow breath and sat down on the cave floor. "Explain again. Start at the beginning."

Well, that was something he could do. Nasedo sat across from Rosa. He started with his people fleeing from war and violence, the stowaway, the crash. How the military came in and killed, as far as he knew, everyone. How he hid the three children away, and managed to hide himself, but withered and decayed with time. Finally hearing Isobel, and trying to save her. Realizing he could enter her body and mind, control the body when Isobel retreated into herself. How they learned, in time, to work together and share a life. How they had both fallen in love with Rosa.

"And here we are," Nasedo said quietly. "I'm sorry that we didn't tell you. We were worried that if we said anything, you'd think we were crazy. Or worse, that you'd believe us and turn us in."

Toying with a loose thread at the corner of her jacket, Rosa stared down at the dirt. She didn't speak at first. When she did, her voice was shaking. "I don't... I need some time to process." Her eyes wandered to the pod. "I won't tell anyone. I'll keep your secret."

It was tempting to ask about their relationship, but Nasedo knew better than to try. She needed time. "Thank you," he replied. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Can we get out of here?"

Nodding, Nasedo led Rosa back out of the cave. At least she let him take her hand; she didn't seem afraid, so much as deep in thought.

Isobel was nowhere in sight. It seemed that he would have to handle the rest of the night on his own, and deal with Isobel's likely anger in the morning; they hadn't discussed this, hadn't planned for it, and he knew that would play poorly with Isobel's anxiety. Not that he blamed her. It was a risky move. At least for the time being, things were okay. Maybe not ideal-- understandable, considering most humans would probably need time to adjust-- but they didn't seem to be in danger.

They were back in the car and heading into town when Rosa glanced at him. "Hey. Do you wanna go to Sander's Auto? He lets me paint up his old scrap cars sometimes. I just... Need something average right now."

He couldn't refuse. The junkyard was familiar, and art was Rosa's release; if it made her feel better, who was he to say no? Nasedo murmured an affirmative, and they pulled into the yard soon after. It was late. No one was there. It didn't matter much since the man who owned the property was notoriously lax with security, and Michael worked for him in exchange for parking his truck there. Isobel being there wouldn't be suspect at all.

Light from the full moon cast a milky glow over everything it touched. Nasedo looked around as they got out of the car, seeing little hints of Rosa all over as they wandered inside. Flowers doodled on signs, a heart carved into a wooden post, poetry and quotes painted onto rusted out cars. It was a bit like the desert itself. Barren, filled with erosion and decay, but scattered with small moments of beauty.

Rosa found a big van, yellow with dented side doors. She opened the van and set her knapsack inside, pulling out spraypaint. Nasedo sat in the van, watching. Watching and listening. Rosa began to talk about art, her favorite artists and her favorite mediums, what paint she liked best and how some places spoke to her in a way she didn't really understand. The longer she spoke, the stronger she sounded. Less afraid, more passionate. Intoxicating.

"What?"

Nasedo blinked, realizing that he'd been caught staring. "I'm sorry. I love hearing you talk about this stuff. Have you considered going to art school or something?"

"Actually..." Rosa ducked her head and smiled. "I have thought about going to Paris and studying art there. It's a silly dream I've always had."

"It sounds like a beautiful dream."

"Yeah? And what are your dreams?"

"Oh, I don't know." Nasedo brought his knees up to his chest. He peered up at the stars. "My old home, I was a sort of... defender, but I've lost my taste for war. Maybe I'd be a lawyer instead."

"And Isobel?"

"She wants to be an event planner. She watched 27 Dresses as a kid and saw herself in it."

Rosa came back to her knapsack, choosing different paints. Black and red. "Well, who knows. Maybe we'll all make our dreams come true."

Nasedo smiled up at her, then looked to what she pulled from the knapsack next. "You brought a UFO stencil with you in your runaway supplies?"

"Maybe it's silly, but it means a lot to me."

"It's not silly at all. What's the story behind it?"

"When I was little, my friend's mother talked about aliens all the time. We thought she was sick. Maybe she wasn't." Rosa eyed the van, finally finding a place to work. Nasedo followed; he held the stencil in place while she painted. "Mimi would always say that we're not alone. That's why I made this stencil, I guess. And why I wanted to take it with me. As a reminder."

"You're not alone, Rosa."

Rosa sighed. She dropped her arms, eyeing her work before turning to Nasedo. There was conflict in those deep brown eyes, but she just sniffled and shrugged. "Wanna try?"

"She'll kill me if I ruin her dress."

"Blame me."

"Rosa..."

They looked at one another, and for a moment, Rosa stepped closer. But then she stepped past him and headed to the other side of the van. Nasedo followed and chose the red paint, drawing the same symbol he'd drawn on the gazebo post. Circle, circle, circle. Lines connecting.

Rosa leaned against his shoulder, taking the can of spraypaint when he was done. "What does it mean? Really?"

"It's a map of our home. I've never told anyone before."

"Not even Isobel?" Rosa asked. Nasedo shook his head; it was better to not tell her, to give her a chance at a normal life. Sitting in the van, Rosa patted the space next to her. "Tell me about it."

Nasedo curled up next to Rosa, telling her everything he remembered of home. Antar was one of the main star systems of their government, along with Shau and Sarga. Their home planet was in the middle, a picturesque world at one time, ruled by wise and fair leaders. The planet had lush, sprawling gardens, filled with bright flowers and birds and insects. But then a young king took over. Well-meaning, but irresponsible. Selfish. He was so blinded by his own way of doing things, he didn't pay attention to the unrest. Finally, he and his siblings were murdered by a rebel leader. Their cells were cloned, and their family fled with the cells maturing in stasis pods.

Somewhere along the way, they had sprawled backwards, holding hands and watching the sky. Every so often, a meteor would breeze through in a shower of green and white. When he spoke of the deaths, Rosa squeezed his hand.

"Died and resurrected, like the holy men of old," Nasedo whispered to himself, squeezing back. "And they have no idea. None. It's why they have no memories. They were a desperate attempt to save our royal line."

"That's awful. Do you remember them, from before?"

"Rath was explosive. Temperamental, stubborn, but protective and good-hearted. Vilandra, she was elegant and beautiful. She was powerful. Intense. And Zan, our King... Well, as I said. He was ineffective. There was another, Ava. His wife. But she..." He thought back to the night of the crash and shivered. "She formed a pact with the rebel who murdered the rest. What happened to her, I have no clue."

Rosa nestled closer. They kept talking into the night about his world's music, fashion. Good memories. Happier times. Somehow, Nasedo ended up drifting off; the next time he stirred, Rosa was nudging him with her shoulder. Sunlight streamed through the open doors of the van. It was morning; they had stayed out all night, and Isobel was slowly stirring. God, their neck...

Rosa stroked their hair, pushing it out of their face. "I'm gonna go get us some breakfast, okay?"

"Mmhm..."

Shimmying out of the van, Nasedo could hear the car start and the motor fade away. He sighed, closing his eyes and trying to stretch their back. It had only been five minutes when he heard another car approaching. A familiar rumbling engine. Suddenly, he found himself shoved out of front and to the side as Isobel surged into control. He could feel her panic as she shot up, scrambling for some sort of explanation as Michael and Max approached. They weren't supposed to be there, they shouldn't have been there, why--

"Isobel?" Max yelled. "Oh, what the hell?!"

Michael stopped, pointing at Isobel's hands. "Wait. Is that...?"

Isobel looked down. Their hands were stained a bright red. "No. I think it's paint."

Max narrowed his eyes. "Were you with Rosa?"

"Are you on something right now?" Michael asked at the same time.

"No!" Isobel denied. Her voice was strained; Nasedo tried to get around her, wanting to help, but she pushed him away. "I don't know how I got here."

"Stop lying! That's Rosa's art. We know she sells drugs." Max was clenching his hands. He was loud, too loud. Too demanding. "Just tell us the truth."

Isobel grit her teeth. Panic was being replaced by fury. "You know, my life is none of your business, Max. You've made that very clear."

"We just spent all night--"

"You're _leaving_ me! You're going halfway across the planet. What about me? What am I supposed to do?"

"Live your life!" Max threw his arms into the air. "Grow up! We're not abandoning you."

Grow up. Isobel blinked in shock, trying to process what she'd heard. They had heard Max and Michael say she was just after attention. They had heard Max scoff and dismiss Isobel's problems and worries before. But... Grow up? For years, she had been trying to survive her trauma, keep their secret, deal with their parents, try and try and try to find a place in the world with few people to rely on but her brothers. Grow up? She'd grown up that night, at fourteen.

She got up and fled before Nasedo could wrestle control back. How dare he, how could he, what did I do to deserve that, I've only ever tried to be a good sister, what am I supposed to do. Her thoughts were swirling too fast for him to get in a word. She wasn't listening, storming down the dirt road without aim, until a car came their way. Rosa.

"Hey, what..." Rosa poked her head out the window. When she saw their state, she reached to the passenger side and opened the lock. "I was coming back to get you. Hop in."

Isobel slid into the car and slammed the door. The smell of coffee and hashbrowns filled the air; they were starving, but Isobel crossed her arms and folded in on herself, refusing to talk. Rosa didn't press. She turned around and headed back into town. As Isobel started to relax, her rage at Max simmered down to an annoyance at Nasedo; he had shared only enough of his memories to explain, leaving out exactly what had been discussed in the junkyard.

Rosa parked in a quiet lot lined with trees. She unwrapped her breakfast sandwich, nibbling on it and glancing at Isobel in her peripheral vision. Isobel picked up the one Rosa had brought her and stared down at it, trying to calm her mind.

"So," Isobel finally said, "he told you."

"He did."

Isobel tried to reply, but all that came out was a choked sob. "He didn't even ask. No one asks me about anything anymore. I'm sick of everyone deciding my life for me."

"Woah, Izzie. What's going on?" Rosa reached out, resting a hand on Isobel's shoulder. Isobel slumped over, pressing her face against Rosa's shoulder and crying. "It's gonna be okay. I'm here, alright? We'll figure this out together. Promise."

It was difficult to eat, and Isobel didn't allow Nasedo to do it for her. He was, officially, in the dog house. Still, she managed to get it down. Once they were both done, Rosa fired up the car and drove to the Evans' home. No one else was home. It was safe. Rosa walked them to the door; she offered a hug, and Isobel took it. So smelled like dust and sagebrush, and Isobel allowed herself to relax a little.

"Nasedo said I wasn't alone," Rosa whispered. "You're not gonna be alone, either, Isobel."

"You say that now."

"I mean it. I'm not leaving you. Either of you."

Isobel pulled back, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand. She tried to smile. It felt flat, but Rosa stroked her cheek and things seemed a tiny bit less dire, anyways. "Thank you, Rosa. For everything."

"I know what it's like to be judged. It's totally not punk, you know?"

Rosa gave Isobel a kiss on the cheek. They said their goodbyes and Rosa headed to the diner, while Isobel headed inside to clean up. Nasedo hung around in the back of her mind, waiting until she felt like addressing him. It took hours, but once she slumped into her bed after a long shower, she sighed and turned her attention to him.

_"I wish you would have warned me."_

_"I'm sorry. You weren't responding and she was going to leave."_

_"I know, I know..."_ Isobel closed her eyes and leaned back against their pillows. _"She seemed to take it pretty well."_

Nasedo fell quiet again, then remembered a tiny bit of conversation that puzzled him. _"Isobel, why does the name Valenti sound familiar?"_

Isobel opened her eyes. _"Valenti?"_

_"Rosa said some man named Valenti was going to help her get clean."_

_"All this time and you don't remember? Valenti. Kyle Valenti. It has to be his father, but that's..."_ Isobel swallowed. _"Why would she be involved with him?_

_"Isobel?"_

She bit her lip. _"Kyle's father is-- was in the military. He's friends with Alex's dad, that homophobic military bigot. Their ancestors were at the Roswell crash."_

Nasedo felt his heart sink. _"Do you think she knows?"_

_"I don't know, but we need to find out. Fast."_


	6. Chapter 6

June 8th was graduation.  
  
In two weeks and a handful of days, everything would begin to change, and neither Nasedo nor Isobel knew how. It all depended on Rosa, and what path she decided to take. They tried not to expect anything. Rosa was human, after all, and it wasn't like they'd been together all that long. Still. Extraordinary things happened sometimes, didn't they? It was obvious they had a connection. Nasedo could sense it between the three of them. Rosa seemed to love them, and they knew they loved her. Nasedo knew that love wasn't always enough. If Rosa decided she couldn't trust them enough to leave Roswell with them, there was little they could do besides wait. Wait, and hope for the best.  
  
It was one more reason why it was essential to figure out what she knew in regards to Valenti. The man was dangerous. If she saw him as a father figure, she might fall too easily under his sway, and then it would be a one-way ticket to a laboratory somewhere. But how to ask about it, without prying and rousing Rosa's suspicion? It took a bit to cook up a plan, but it was simple. Direct, without being confrontational. All it took was Isobel's beautiful smile and a little lie.  
  
"I'm doing a project," Isobel said as they lounged under the bridge. Rosa was making some new stencils, her hair pulled up out of her face in the late-spring heat; she was gorgeous, and they hated to risk spoiling the moment, but it had to be done. "It's a paper regarding the 1947 crash. That guy you were gonna go see, didn't you say his name was Valenti?"  
  
Rosa peered up. "Yeah. Jim Valenti. Why?"  
  
"Oh, curiosity's sake. I read that his father was actually there that night. I guess their family has a long history in the military."  
  
"I knew he seemed like the type, but I didn't..." Rosa frowned, leaning back and studying her fingernails. "Do you think his family had something to do with killing your people?"  
  
"We have no way of knowing for sure, but it's possible."  
  
"I had no idea. He didn't tell me anything, except that he was sheriff for a while and was an alcoholic, like me. But if he was involved..."  
  
Isobel kept her tone docile, casual. "I trust you. I know you won't tell him."  
  
The look of disgust on Rosa's face said it all. She muttered something in Spanish about cops and the military, and returned to her artwork. Nasedo and Isobel relaxed, satisfied. She hadn't known about the connection, and now that she did, she knew to be careful. At least, that's what they hoped. Nasedo had an uncanny way of knowing if someone was lying. As far as he knew, Rosa was telling the truth. Once they got out of Roswell, it wouldn't matter anymore, anyways; they'd go somewhere no one knew them, and start over.  
  
Once night fell and gave them a reprieve from the incoming summer, Isobel drove them back out to the turquoise mines. Nasedo had discovered a small cave near his own, and decided to gift it to Rosa. It was up a hill and hidden behind some rocks, with smooth walls begging to be canvases. When Rosa saw it, her eyes lit up; Nasedo knew she was thinking the same thing.  
  
"But why me?" Rosa wondered, awe in her voice as her fingers traced the fractures in the rock. "Why don't you use it?"  
  
Isobel rested a hand on Rosa's back. "Nasedo has one. I don't need it. But you like having secret spots, right? Places to go when you need to be alone? We thought maybe it would be useful when you need to escape for a while."  
  
Rosa tackled them in a tight hug. "It's perfect. Thank you." She spun away from them, running her hands along the walls. "I can paint these, have candles here, maybe put a little space for books and art supplies over there..."  
  
It took Rosa a couple of days to 'move in'. Once she was ready to share, Rosa brought them to the cave; it was a little bit gothic, a little bit romantic, and it suited her perfectly. There were flowers and lyrics painted all along the walls, plush pillows along the floor, and books. Treasures. The lit candles made shadows dance along the walls. It was warm, cozy. There was a faint smell of incense in the air, and it felt like home.  
  
"You can come here whenever you want," Rosa said as Isobel explored the space. "I get you intended it to be for me, but I like sharing with you. And I get the feeling sometimes Nasedo needs to get away from Max."  
  
Isobel let out a little snort as Nasedo chuckled from the back of her mind. "Well, you're not wrong there. Thank you." They curled up on some of the pillows with Rosa, shoulder touching as they leaned against one another. Isobel peeked over at Rosa, who was glancing at Isobel's lips. "Can I kiss you?"  
  
Rosa grinned and nodded. She slid her hand behind Isobel's neck, leaning in; it was a short kiss, affectionate and pleasant, but it left butterflies in their stomach. Isobel was poised to tease Rosa about how much she was blushing, but then Isobel caught a whiff of something on Rosa's breath. Alcohol. Faint, but there was no doubt. She'd been drinking.  
  
Before Isobel could comment, Rosa was pulling out a small atlas with cheer alight in her expression. "I've come up with a list of places I want to visit someday. Wanna see?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
 _Maybe I was wrong_ , Isobel thought to herself. Nasedo didn't agree, but Isobel refused to broach the subject. She couldn't smell it anymore, and Rosa was bubbling over traveling to California, New York, and Paris someday, and how she would take them with her. She was genuinely happy. Why ruin the mood? They would ask her about it later.  
  
The way Rosa spoke, it was like she was planning to leave Roswell with them. She didn't say anything for sure, but that was alright; there was still time until graduation, after all. In the meantime, they wrote her little notes. Sometimes it was sweet sentiments, or a little doodle, or a bit of poetry or lyrics that they thought Rosa would enjoy. They slipped the notes into her jacket pocket or the covers of the books she was packing so that she would find them later, when she was settling into her hideaway. They signed the notes 'Ophiuchus'. At first, Rosa seemed thrilled. As time went on, though, the joy on Rosa's face faded.   
  
"I have something to do after work," Rosa said when Nasedo called her one night. "Maybe we can plan for something tomorrow?"  
  
Nasedo frowned. Something was wrong; there was a note of distress in Rosa's tone. "Are you alright?"  
  
"Yeah, yeah. My dad's really getting on my nerves, you know? Let's get together tomorrow."  
  
They went to the movies the next day, with dinner after. Isobel knew Rosa well enough to see that she was distracted. Agitated. She didn't seem angry, but she did seem nervous, and jittery. Isobel caught the distinct sour, heavy scent of booze on her. They waited until they were back in the car before Nasedo took over, wording what he was about to say with every ounce of care possible.  
  
"Rosa," he said, gentling his voice, "I'm glad we got to spend time together. I noticed you've been having a hard time tonight, though. Do you want to talk?"  
  
"No. I've got it under control. I just wanna have fun tonight."  
  
"Alright. If you change your mind, I'll be here for you."  
  
"Yeah." Rosa fell silent for a time, then sighed. "I've been drinking again. I know, I know. I suck. But things have been awful, and these people are trying to push me back into dealing. They've been hounding me since prom, right? It's been hell."  
  
Nasedo resisted the urge to growl. "Who are these people?"  
  
"It's okay. I'll handle it."  
  
"But if you're relapsing--"  
  
"I said I can handle it! What are you, my father?"  
  
Opening his mouth, Nasedo shut it again. "I'm sorry, Rosa. I'm sorry that I upset you."  
  
"No, don't apologize." Rosa shook her head. "I'm sorry, too. Let's go home. I should try and get some sleep or something, maybe I'll be less cranky tomorrow."  
  
And that's how it was. Tomorrow, tomorrow, _tomorrow_. Everything would be better _tomorrow_ , somehow, but they couldn't deny that Rosa was crashing. Something had happened, but she wouldn't tell them what. When she stopped responding to their texts, they went looking for her. Not at the school, not at work, not anywhere she'd normally be. Nasedo took them out to the turquoise mines, where they found her in her cave. She was curled up around a bottle of whiskey, half empty.  
  
"Rosa?"  
  
"Go away." Her words were slurred. "Wanna be alone."  
  
"I want to help. Please."  
  
"Can help by going away. Don't wanna talk right now."  
  
"You have been dodging us for almost a week, Rosa. How did you even get out here? There's no car." When she didn't reply, Nasedo felt a tremor of desperation. He lifted his hand and clenched it into a fist, pulling the arm back; the bottle of booze yanked from Rosa's hands and moved into his other hand. "Rosa, I can't let you destroy yourself. Please, talk to me."  
  
Rosa stared at Nasedo, her eyes suddenly sober. "What the fuck? Why did you do that?"  
  
"Because you're relapsing, hard, and I care about you too much to watch you kill yourself when we're _so close_ to escaping from this place. It's so close to graduation."  
  
"I never said I was leaving with you."  
  
"You..." It felt like a slap in the face, but they had only been together for two months. It made sense that Rosa wasn't ready yet. "Okay. That's fair. But do you really want to stay here?"  
  
"Just get out. Leave me alone. If I need help, I'll fucking ask for it."  
  
"At least let me drive you back into town."  
  
Rosa slumped. She nodded, struggling to her feet and cursing under her breath; Nasedo reached out to steady her, but she yanked away and kept walking. They didn't speak on the way to the Crashdown. That was the way of things, though. Addicts hated confrontation, hated being made to face their addiction. They couldn't force her to let them help, so they took her to the cafe, waited for her to get inside, and left.  
  
 _"We'll give her a day or two to calm down,"_ Isobel said soothingly as they got ready for bed. _"I'm sure once she's slept it off, we'll be able to talk to her. There are some clinics in town. If we find a place for her to go, they might help her."_  
  
 _"And if she won't?"  
  
"Then we love her, and support her until she chooses to accept help."_  
  
Nasedo frowned, brushing out their hair. _"I'm scared for her. I think, what if it was you? What if it was you, and you wouldn't let me help you? And it hurts. If I lost either of you, I'd..."  
  
"Hey. You won't lose either of us. Drugs and alcohol make you say and do some really mean things. You'll see. We'll visit her tomorrow, and things will be better."  
_  
It was a comfort.  
  
It was also false.  
  
Isobel dressed them in black before they headed to the Crashdown. It made them look sleek, powerful, sexy, and they felt stronger in it. Isobel had written down the name and number of a drug and alcohol clinic nearby, and she had a speech prepared in her head. The next day was graduation, and after that, they could focus fully on trying to keep Rosa safe. For now, they could at least try to talk some sense into her, if she was sober. By the time they got to the cafe, though, it was clear that things weren't going to go as planned.  
  
Standing in the back alley, Rosa was staring at her car, crying into her hands. Isobel glanced it over, realizing that someone had vandalized it. "Rosa?"  
  
"Not now."  
  
"Who did this?"  
  
"It was Kate and Jasmine. They're pissed that I stopped partying." Rosa sniffled, leaning against Isobel as she walked over. "They've been threatening to turn my dad over to ICE, and if he gets deported I don't know what we'll do."  
  
Nasedo pushed his way forward, taking over the body through pure, raw fury. "They're threatening your family? They're threatening _you_?"  
  
"Look, it doesn't matter. I don't I don't want Liz to see this, okay? She said that she needed the car this afternoon, and I just don't want her to worry."  
  
"At least let me help you clean it up."  
  
Her voice was odd. Cold, distant. "Don't. I'm fine. I don't need your help."  
  
"Hey. Did I do something wrong? I understand that yesterday sucked, but I didn't mean to scare you."  
  
"No, you didn't. Life just sucks. I thought Kate was my friend, but I guess I'm only her supplier. And my mom sucks, and Liz is gonna leave, and I found out that my dad..." Sighing, Rosa closed her eyes as Nasedo reached out. She let him touch her check, but then seemed to shake him off. Rosa looked up at him. She frowned, drawing away and curling her arms around herself as she backed towards the cafe. "You know, you're just, you're a lot. You're _too much_ , and I can't... I can't _handle_ it."  
  
Rosa turned and bolted into the cafe, the door slamming and locking behind her. Nasedo's hand still hung in the air; he dropped it to their side, staring at the spot where Rosa had stood mere moments before. She was scared. Overwhelmed. But he hadn't done anything wrong, right? He'd only been trying to help. He loved her. He'd do anything to keep her safe. Didn't she understand that? Anything.  
  
... Anything.  
  
Nasedo turned on his heels and stormed towards their car, throwing himself behind the driver's seat and heading out to the road. He knew what he had to do. What _must_ be done. All he had to do was find them. A Saturday night in Roswell? There was only one place.  
  
A small, pleading voice registered from the back of their mind. _"Nasedo."  
  
"Quiet, Isobel."  
  
"Nasedo, whatever you're planning--"_  
  
He gathered his strength and pushed her out. She didn't need to be there for this. She didn't need to see what was about to happen. She would only get in the way. Nasedo parked at the drive-in movie theater, reclining in the warmth and waiting. It didn't take long, not in comparison to decades of rotting away in a pod. The horizon in the east turned dark, and the sunset in the west splashed gold and crimson and purple across the sky. That was when his attention landed on a pair of giggling, vapid humans. Smiling to himself, Nasedo got out of the car and crossed the parking lot towards them.  
  
"Hey, Kate. Jasmine."  
  
Kate was the one to look over first. Her face was fair enough, but the sneer on her face revealed her ugliness. "Evans." She crossed her arms. "What do _you_ want?"  
  
Nasedo shrugged. "Heard you were having some trouble getting your fix."  
  
"So? Aren't you friends with that little Mexican bitch?"  
  
"I thought maybe I'd help you out instead."  
  
"You?" Jasmine let out a bark of a laugh. "You do drugs?"  
  
Smiling, Nasedo twirled a lock of hair around his finger. "I know how to have a good time."  
  
The girls glanced at each other. Kate shrugged, which was all the convincing Jasmine needed. It was easy enough to lure them out into the desert, towards the mines. No one noticed two silly teenagers going off in the night. It was harder getting them to follow him, but the promise of fun proved too alluring. Well, it wasn't his fault they assumed it would be fun for them.  
  
It was almost too easy. He waited until they were ahead of him, and he used his power to twist their bones. Cut off their oxygen and blood. Jasmine was first, her neck breaking like so much glass under the sharp strike of a hammer. Kate turned in time to see it happen. Good. The horror on her face, the scent of it rushing through her energy, was electrifying.  
  
"Jasmine! What did you do to her?!"  
  
Nasedo grinned, baring his teeth as he prowled towards Kate. "The same thing I'm going to do to you."  
  
There was a moment of realization in Kate's eyes, but he flicked his wrist before she even blinked, and it was over. The air was silent. Still. Nasedo took in the sight of the bodies, trembling as he breathed in a rush of power. He'd never felt anything similar. Not that it was a psychological rush, or emotional even, but... Physical. He felt it in his body. It was like a weight lifting off his chest, or being able to breathe after struggling underwater. Something was different. But what?  
  
A sound made Nasedo pause. A sound, but farther away. It wouldn't have been audible to a human's sense of hearing, but he would recognize the sound anywhere. Crying. Distress. He turned his head towards the mines, pursing his lips. Rosa. Nasedo left the bodies where they lay, running towards Rosa's cave. Had she seen? Heard? Was she hurt? Countless scenarios went through his head. But as he got closer, the mystery only deepened.  
  
Rosa was throwing things around, growling. "What the hell? Where is it?!" She spun around when she spotted Nasedo. Her hands balled into fists, and there was fury rolling off her in waves. "Did you steal my backpack?"  
  
"We didn't steal anything from you."  
  
"You're the only ones who knew it was here! Damn it, I need to find it. Now."  
  
"I swear, we didn't take it. Why is it so important?"  
  
"Look..." Running her hands through her hair, Rosa hung her head and let out a slow exhale. "I get that you care about me, but I have to leave on my own. I need to get clean on my own. I got a ticket to go see Valenti, and I'm going to have him help me. He promised to help with my dad's citizenship, too."  
  
"Even after everything his family has done? You know what he'd do to us if he found out."  
  
"So I won't mention you. He'll help me. He's my real father, okay? He cheated with my mom, and she had me. That's why he wants to see me so bad. He's my father."  
  
The words hung in the air. Nasedo stared at Rosa, searching her face and energy for any sort of deception. None. It seemed laughable, but Rosa was avoiding his eyes. She was serious. "So you're going to trust what he says. A cheater and a liar."  
  
"I know that you don't want me to go, but I have to. I won't tell him anything, it's...I just need to figure things out in case Kate and Jasmine do something."  
  
Unwise words formed on his tongue. "What if they were out of the picture? If you didn't have to worry?"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"If they were gone, would you stay?"  
  
"Gone." Rosa finally locked her gaze with his. "What do you mean by _gone_? What did you do to them?"  
  
Nasedo opened his mouth to answer, but he faltered. Why was it so hard to say it? It had felt so good, so right, at the time. Now he wasn't so sure. "Rosa, they wanted to hurt you. I felt it off them. So I hurt them first."  
  
Before he could say anything else, Rosa bolted. He ran after her, knowing that if she got too far outside the cave, she would see the bodies. No, no... But it was too late. She'd frozen a few yards from them, her hands covering her mouth as she let out a cry. Nasedo tried to understand, but he couldn't. She hated them. They hated her. They had planned to hurt her and her family. Why was she upset?  
  
"They're dead," Rosa choked out. She turned to him, tears in her eyes. "You killed them."  
  
"I wanted to protect you. I wanted to keep you safe."  
  
"You don't do that by murdering people!"  
  
"Please, Rosa. If they hurt you or your family when I was capable of doing something..." Nasedo stepped forward, and Rosa stepped backward. He hesitated. "You don't have to be scared of me, Rosa. I promise. Just come back, and I'll take care of this and we can talk. I'll even take you to Valenti if you want. Just come back."  
  
Rosa skittered away from the bodies, wiping her face with her hand. "Okay," she whimpered. "Okay. I'll come back with you. Let's go talk."  
  
But when she reached out to take his hand, Nasedo could feel it. Fear, disgust. Deception. "You're lying." His hand tightened around her wrist. "Why are you lying to me? What are you hiding?"  
  
"Let go of me, Nasedo."  
  
"You're going to tell him, aren't you?"  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about!"  
  
"Valenti!" Nasedo yelled, yanking Rosa to him. "You're going to run off and tell him. You promised, Rosa! You promised to keep our secret."  
  
"You killed two people! How can I trust you when you're a _murderer_?"  
  
"I did it for you!"  
  
Rosa struggled, scratching at him to try and get away. She was going to tell. She was going to tell, and there was only one option left. Nasedo felt his eyes sting as he pulled Rosa to his chest, one hand around her neck and the other over her mouth. She was trying to fight, but it didn't matter. He had her. It would be over soon.  
  
Isobel was fighting for control, screaming for him to stop.  
  
Oh, stars, his heart was shattering.  
  
"I did it for you," he whispered as his throat squeezed shut and tears slid down his cheeks. He didn't know if he was talking to Rosa, Isobel, or both. "Everything I did, I did for you."  
  
His hand glowed red as searing heat tore through his body, flowing into Rosa and curling through her brain and heart. One heartbeat, two, and her body went limp. Her eyes, so beautiful, gazed sightless towards the stars. Nasedo felt a sob catch in his chest, his head throbbing with pain as Isobel fought against him with everything in her. Something was changing inside them. Breaking.  
  
There was movement in front of him. A familiar form, staring at him in shock. "Isobel?" Michael called out. Nasedo's head shook, just a touch; Michael took in a sharp breath but there was no surprise, and Nasedo knew for sure then that he had figured it out, somehow. Michael didn't move closer. He didn't back away, either. He just stared at Rosa's body with something like sorrow on his face. "What happened?"  
  
"She couldn't be trusted."  
  
He was losing control of the body, and so Nasedo did the only thing he knew to do. The one small, merciful thing, the last act of love he could manage before he was thrown out completely. Nasedo reached deep into Isobel's mind, and erased everything.  
  
Closing his eyes, he fell into the black pit of unconsciousness.


	7. Chapter 7

Nasedo stirred inside the stasis pod.  
  
He was alone in his head, the link between himself and Isobel severed, but he felt something else coursing through his body. Something familiar and sublime-- power.  
  
The muscles in his arms flexed. His legs cramped as he began to stretch and push against the confines of the pod. His skin no longer looked decayed, and for the first time in decades, Nasedo felt his heart and lungs expand and contract with ease. Somehow, his body was healing. There wasn't time to ponder how or why; his body was also fighting to be free of its prison, after being trapped for so long. He shoved against the barrier, and this time, it gave way.  
  
He coughed as he tumbled from the pod to the dusty cave floor. The pressure of the rock against his palms was overwhelming. The air that flowed in from outside was grating against his flesh. Crickets chirping outside sounded like hideous sirens to his ears, and the oxygen of the atmosphere made him dizzy. Still. His legs supported him when he stood, even though they wobbled as he tried to walk. Nasedo squinted in the moonlight as he made his way outside of the cave, the brightness of it making pain throb just behind his eyes.  
  
Finally, he was free. There was a moment of joy, before that happiness crashed down into sorrow. At what cost? In their species culture, it was common for warriors to absorb the life force of fallen enemies, or for elders to bless loved ones with their last threads of energy as they ascended to the afterlife. But did it work with humans, too? Could their kind absorb the life force of other species? Nasedo stared at his hands, wanting to vomit. It wasn't right. It was downright ghoulish.  
  
But it _was_ , and he couldn't change that. Not unless...  
  
Despite the fact that his body had repaired itself, enough to exist outside the pod, Nasedo couldn't move with haste. Not yet. He hobbled to where Rosa's corpse-- and where Isobel and her brothers-- should have been, a naive hope fluttering in his chest. Maybe if he got to them, he could explain. Beg for their mercy. Promise to help them, to tell them about home, to teach them to use their powers in exchange for their forgiveness. Perhaps he didn't deserve compassion or their understanding, but surely they would believe that he hadn't intended for this to happen.  
  
Except they were gone. All three aliens, the two dead twits, and Rosa. Completely gone, as if they'd never existed, save for faint drag marks on the ground. Michael, Nasedo realized. He'd moved the bodies, like he had the night that Max killed Isobel's attacker. Travel would be slow. His clothes-- a formal looking uniform that Protectors wore-- had maintained integrity during stasis, but foot coverings weren't common during space journeys and time in stasis had left his skin delicate. Nasedo followed the marks, ignoring the way the sun-scorched rocks and sharp plants bit into his bare feet. He couldn't worry about discomfort just then. He had to catch up with the heirs before they did something ridiculous.  
  
He smelled smoke, and heard the sounds of a loud commotion before he saw the wreckage. It was too late; they'd _already_ done something ridiculous. Nasedo crouched down, keeping to the shadows as he peered through sagebrush at the scene on the road before him. There were no less than four police cars, another plain black SUV, and a large white van belonging to a medical examiner. A handful of people were milling around the charred remains of two cars, and the rest were between the medical examiner's vehicle and the SUV. A few members of the second group wore military uniforms.  
  
Fuck. Nasedo eyed the smouldering cars, trying to figure out what in the bleeding stars had happened. The heirs were long gone, for sure, and the fire was nothing more than ash; whatever had occurred, it had been at least half an hour ago. Skid marks on the road. Two cars, both melted. Had they tried to cover up the deaths as a car crash? Nasedo swallowed hard as fear bloomed in his chest. If Rosa's corpse was destroyed, there would be no way to fix what he'd done.  
  
There was only one way to know for sure, and that would be to investigate the scene. Nasedo cursed under his breath in his mother tongue. Before, on their homeworld, it would have been simple to manipulate a dozen individuals into whatever he needed them to do. But here? After being is stasis for so long, rotting away? He had no idea if his powers would work, much less on so many minds.  
  
All he needed them to do was not notice him. His clothing was dark, with nothing remarkable or flashy about it. Perhaps, if he was careful, he could pull it off. If he couldn't, he might as well be dead anyways. Nasedo closed his eyes, focusing. Nothing. Nasedo grit his teeth, digging deep inside his body and clawing for the base of his power. It took longer than he liked, but he felt it there inside his cells, rising up and crackling through his veins. _There._  
  
Standing, he walked forward. Stretching out his mind, he let it brush against the minds of the humans present, soothing them and whispering that everything was normal. There was no one to see, nothing out of place. The effort was already draining him, but he didn't need long. He kept to the edges of the scene, walking with purpose and stepping behind people. He, in the minds of the humans, belonged there and knew where he was going. A quick glance at the destroyed cars told him that they were empty. The van, then. The medical examiner had to have her, unless the military had taken them.  
  
Two sheet-covered bodies rested in the back of the van. Rosa's corpse, half-naked, was closer to the doors. Nasedo's eyes stung as he saw her laying there. She hadn't deserved such a fate. If he could get past the last group of humans, maybe she wouldn't have to. Thankfully, they were already plenty distracted with each other. The men in the uniforms were arguing with the medical examiners, loudly.  
  
"This is the army's jurisdiction," one yelled. "I demand--"  
  
"If you can explain how this is _your_ jurisdiction--"  
  
Nasedo turned them out as he slipped into the van. The doors faced away from the scene. It would give him just enough cover to escape, if he was careful. "I'm sorry," he whispered to Rosa as he wrapped her completely in the white sheet. She was burned, but whole. There was a chance. "I'll fix this, I promise."  
  
Clutching her to him, he left the van and slinked back to the desert. His head felt like it was being crushed in from every side as he maintained the illusion over the humans, but he had to for as long as he could. Once they realized the dead had gone from three to two, he would only have a short time to hide. He got a five-minute start before he felt the mental connection break; he was exhausted, and had to focus on returning to his stasis pod. If the heavens were kind, it would be a few moments more before the humans knew something was wrong.  
  
Kindness, the heavens decided, was something they could spare. Nasedo made it to the caves; he slipped the silver bands off his wrists and coiled them around Rosa's own, gently uncovering her corpse and lowering her into the stasis pod. The mist inside glowed faintly. Damaged as it was, the pod was holding. It would preserve Rosa, long enough for Max to grow older, become stronger, and revive her. It was risky. It had only been done a handful of times in their homeworld's history. Still, it was possible, and a possibility was what Nasedo needed.  
  
He sank down on his knees just outside the cave, closing his eyes and using the last of his energy to manipulate the matter around the cave entrance, sealing it shut so it would appear to be solid stone. It would be just enough to throw off anyone who'd come looking. And in the morning, he would... what, go hunt down Max and Michael, and try to explain himself? Now that he thought about it, the idea was terrible. Nasedo wasn't strong enough to defend himself if they retaliated. He would have to rest, and try to recover what strength he could. If he could. There was no way to know if the power he'd tapped into either was finite, or if it would replenish with time, except to wait.  
  
 _Isobel_. Nasedo turned his gaze towards the city lights, longing seizing his heart. She was out there somewhere, going through who knew what, because of his foolishness. So many years erased, and who knew what Max would tell her? What would Michael say? Would they blame her, or keep her safe? Michael. Nasedo tilted his head, considering; Michael had a tendency to cause trouble, and that gave Nasedo an idea. Pushing himself to his feet, Nasedo began to head towards the city, listening carefully for any human activity. It was quiet, beyond the sounds of the desert's nightlife, but that could change in an instant if the humans somehow made a lucky guess on the direction.  
  
The only police officer he found was a lone human, snacking on a McMuffin on the outskirts of the city. Illogical, to be so far outside the city, in the dark, without a partner. Nasedo slipped up alongside the rolled-down, driver's side window, resting his hand on the officer's shoulder. The officer froze, then went limp under Nasedo's hand; it didn't take much effort to enter the man's mind. "Are you alone?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Perfect. Is there anyone waiting for you at home?"  
  
"No, my wife left me."  
  
"Condolences. Take me to your home. If anyone asks, you forgot your wallet."  
  
The officer frowned, but didn't resist. Nasedo fried the cameras of the car-- child's play-- and climbed into the passenger seat. The drive was silent, and gave Nasedo time to think. The military had known to come to the crash, somehow. Hadn't there been rumors that Michael was hanging around Alex Manes? A military brat, Nasedo recalled. Alex had never registered as a threat, because he was gayer than two unicorns fucking under a rainbow, and an anti-capitalist punk rock type. Maybe he'd been wrong, Nasedo wondered.  
  
 _Examine the facts_ , his training reminded him. Rosa was dead, with imprints over her mouth and heart-- an unfortunate side effect of certain powers, like a bruise of sorts. Isobel's memory of Nasedo, in his panic, had been suppressed as much as possible. The heirs had tried to make the deaths appear to be an accident, but with the military presence, there was no way they'd pulled it off. Rosa's corpse had been in the back of a van, the imprints exposed; it was likely that the marks were photographed. If people saw that and knew what it meant, they were all in danger. If Manes, senior, suspected Michael and the heirs of being aliens-- if he'd followed them, or spied on them somehow-- then Nasedo didn't have time to sit idly by. He had to do something to draw Manes' attention away.  
  
As tired as he was, the night was far from over. He had to keep pushing through. The second leg of the plan would mean leaving Roswell, and establishing a human identity. If he was going to protect the heirs-- whether or not they were aware of it-- he would need a human guise to shield himself. And if he knew anything about the human world from the strange criminal dramas that Isobel sometimes watched with Max, it was that forging an identity wasn't that hard if one knew where to look; if he played things right, he might not even have to do that. Isobel, Max, and Michael hadn't needed to. It was just a matter of finding a con to con. Simple. There were enough greedy, immoral souls in the world.  
  
Speaking of which... They had, apparently, arrived at the officer's home.  
  
Parking in the garage, the officer let Nasedo into the home. Nasedo led the man to the bedroom closet, pointing. "Find me something you wouldn't miss." He skittered into the kitchen while the officer pawed through the clothes, using the sleeve of his uniform to avoid leaving fingerprints. He grabbed a discarded plastic bag and tossed in a few things that would be easy to gloss over. An apple, a few bottles of water. In the bathroom, there were a couple of bottles of nail polish remover under the kitchen sink. Nasedo snagged those as well, before returning to the bedroom. "Done?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
A pair of shabby blue jeans, and a button-up shirt that screamed 'mother-in-law gift'. A lightly used pair of running sneakers rested on the floor. It was altogether a bit tighter than Nasedo would have liked, since the man was twiggy, but it was better than bustling around New Mexico resembling a wayward cosplayer. "Alright." He grabbed the officer and dug into his pant pocket, pulling out his wallet and tossing it on the nightstand. "You won't remember me. It was a slow night, so you returned here because you discovered you forgot your wallet. Remember that, yes? I was never here."  
  
The officer nodded, already looking distracted. "My wallet..."  
  
Nasedo glowered at the officer, vitriol welling up in his throat. Law enforcement. They were so akin to their planet's military, filled with violence and egoism. It was less about justice, and more about control. The subjugation of people they saw as lesser was second nature to them. It was tempting to break the man, but that would leave an even worse mess. He had to be careful with this plan. He'd already done too much damage, and couldn't afford more. Not in Roswell. Stuffing his old clothes into another bag, he left the home and headed out into the night.  
  
It was time for his new life to begin.  
  
But first, he had to become bait.


End file.
